Computer Program “Therapy for ADHD”

Publication: ADD ADHD News

A recent study published in a major international pediatrics journal has said that technique developed by a company in the Stockholm Uppsala Bioregion can help children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD ADHD).

The study, in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, forms the basis of Cogmed’s computer program, RoboMemo. The program has been shown to help children improve their working memories, reasoning and response inhibition. In addition, parents of children affected by ADHD have said that the program reduces hyperactivity.

Working memory – the ability to retain and manipulate information for short periods – is a vital factor in a person’s ability to concentrate. RoboMemo trains children’s memories through specific exercises, which gradually become harder. Cogmed also works with patients whose working memory has been damaged by stroke or head injury.

Cogmed was founded by a group of researchers from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute. The company offers working memory training in Sweden, the UK, Denmark and Finland, and plans to offer the technique in Germany. CEO Jonas Jendi says that RoboMemo is a complement to ADHD drugs, rather than a substitute for them. But, he adds, “the training that we provide gives tangible results.”

“It’s gratifying to have this research public, because it is what we have based our practice on for the past two years,” says Jendri, adding that since the research was published, “we’ve been getting attention from around the world.”